FLOWER OF THE MONTH: CALLA LILY

Our flower for the month of November is the beautiful Calla Lily. They are perennials best for growing in the late summer and fall, and companion plants are the Dahlia(which we covered in the last Flower of the Month). They are easy to grow in containers and they have sword-like foliage. Because of their structure, they are not messy and make great vase plants. Calla Lillies come in many colors- yellow, orange, pink, dark maroon, and lavender. San Clemente Garden and Landscape’s top picks are the orange and lavender variety (pictured above). Calla Lily grows from rhizomes, natively growing in bogs and ponds. Interestingly, though the plant and flower are poisonous, the rhizome is edible. They are originally from Africa.

Growing the Calla Lily

Here is a brief overview of how to grow them: Calla Lillies require semi-aquatic environments and good drainage. Bright indirect light is ideal, and plant the rhizomes in February, 3-4 inches deep. The flowers will blossom about 8 weeks after planting and keep blossoming for several months. Remember to protect them from the winter frost — you can dig up the tubers and store them in a dry environment, around 55 F. Calla Lillies really spruce up your landscape! If you’d like to have these beautiful plants flattering your Orange County landscapeeither on your residential or commercial property, inquire about how you can plant them with San Clemente Garden and Landscaping.